From Bended Knee To The Altar
by littlebluedress016
Summary: Lily Evans and James Potter had been dating for a while, so James thought it was about time for Lily to meet his parents. After he takes their relationship to the next level, he has to meet HER parents too.


My first Harry Potter fic! I seriously love Lily and James' love story and I always wished J.K Rowling would write a prequel about them. Seriously, she should. I know of a certain girl who would rush at the midnight sale for that. She said she wouldn't though, but one can hope. :D

Disclaimer: Do you think if I owned any of these I would still be in High School earning my O's?

**MEET THE FAMILY: Meeting the Potters**

Lily Evans paced the floor, her face contorted with worry. Today, her boyfriend of three months, James Potter and herself would go to his parents' house for Easter. James' best friend Sirius Black decided to spend Easter at Hogwarts, to, as he claims, "Prevent the female population from missing me too much". Lily and James knew he did it so that Lily could get to know James' parents and she was thankful for it. She locked her trunk and heaved it downstairs. Remembering she was a witch, she cast a Hover Charm on it so it levitated about a foot off the ground and sent it down. She met James, who was waiting for her in the common room, next to Remus and Peter, who would also be staying in Hogwarts. Sirius lay on a chair lazily, and waved at her to acknowledge that he saw her.

"Bye, Lily, Prongs. Don't do anything crazy, alright? Mr and Mrs Potter would not appreciate grandkids this early", he joked, earning a punch from James and a glare from Lily. "But seriously, Lils, they're going to love you. They managed to love me, so you have nothing to worry about", he grinned. Lily gave him a warm smile. "See you when we get back", she said softly. "Lily, don't worry about a thing. They're going to love you, I'm sure", Remus said reassuringly. Lily smiled at him too.

The two climbed out of the portrait hole together, and made their way to the platform to get on the Hogwarts Express. They found a compartment easily, as many students decided to stay in school. They had it to themselves. Lily was beyond herself. 'What if James' parents dislike me?', she thought. Parents usually have a different expectation of their children's friends and their lovers. Lily was almost paralyzed with the thought of James' parents hating her. James probably felt her unease, because he placed a comforting hand on Lily's and said, "Don't worry too much, Lily. My parents don't really care if you're Muggle-born. I've told them about you for years, they're going to love you. And if they don't", he had a mischievous smile on, "I'll elope with you!"

Lily laughed. "You're right. I'm thinking too much."

James wrapped an arm around her shoulder to soothe her. She smiled up at him gratefully and leaned on his shoulder. The train ride was quiet, as Lily fell asleep. When they arrived at King's Cross, James shook Lily awake, then they scrambled to come out of the train. Lily and James took their trunks and went onto the platform as James searched the crowd for his parents. "James, do your parents know I'm coming?", Lily asked.

"Of course they do! I wrote them a letter to tell them after I asked you", he replied still scanning the crowd. Finally, he ushered Lily towards an elderly couple, grinning broadly.

"Mum, Dad, this is Lily Evans. Lily, these are my parents", James said.

Lily smiled at Mr and Mrs Potter. They looked at her kindly as she stretched her hand out to shake theirs. "Lily Evans. It's a pleasure to meet you", she said, thankful that her voice hadn't shook like she expected it to.

Mrs Potter shook her hand. "Genevieve Potter, James' mother. And this is my husband Charles. We are very happy to meet you my dear, after all James has told us. We are glad you gave James a chance."

Lily blushed. "I'm happy I gave him a chance. He's a wonderful person", she said.

"Stop that Lily, you're making me blush", James said, smirking. Lily almost forgot about her nerves and laughed. They resumed their talk on the way out of the station, where a car was parked, waiting for them. When their trunks were securely in the trunk of the car, Lily and James were both seated in the back seat while Mr and Mrs Potter were on the driver's and the passenger's seats respectively.

"So far so good. See, Lils? I told you that there's nothing to be worried about. You'll be great", James whispered in Lily's ears. Lily could only smile at him. His parents were wonderful and accepting of the fact that their son, their precious only son, is in love with a Muggle born.

About an hour later, they arrived at their destination, the Potters' home. Lily stepped out of the car and looked with awe at the stately manor in front of her. She knew that James was wealthy, but this was, well, overwhelming. The house was massive and gave an air of elegance about it, and Lily had to be dragged by James inside. She was met by a house elf who took her coat and her trunk with a "We'll put these in your room, Miss". She smiled and muttered a word of thanks. She looked at James, who was smiling to himself as Mr and Mrs Potter led them to the parlour. They were served tea and pastries by the house elf, as Mrs Potter motioned for Lily to sit down.

James sat down beside her and held her hand in a comforting manner. He gave her a cup of tea and poured one for himself. Lily could feel his parents looking at them intently, with bright interest as Mr Potter cleared his throat.

"So, Lily, tell us about your family", he said.

Lily expected this to happen. She swallowed her tea and said, "I came from a Muggle family, sir", she said confidently. "My parents raised me and my elder sister Petunia, who is two years my senior. She's getting married next week to a man named Vernon Dursley."

Mrs Potter looked up. "Next week? Aren't you attending, dear?", she asked.

Lily looked determinedly at the floor. "I'm afraid not. My sister resents the idea of me being a witch, and has expressed her desire to stay away from me as much as possible. My parents had asked me to come, but I thought that coming to her wedding might make her resent me more. She wasn't keen on introducing me to her in-laws. As far as I know, she might have told them I was mentally ill or disturbed or simply abnormal", she looked up, looking quite cheerful, "but my parents are perfectly happy with my magic and have supported me with all they have."

"That's awful, dear. I'm sorry I asked", Mrs Potter said.

Lily shook her head. "Oh, no, it's alright! You didn't know and I am not so bothered about it anyway. It's not that big a deal anymore to me."

There was silence. Lily sipped her tea quietly. Mrs Potter broke the silence. "So, Lily, James told us you are the top student of your year. You must be very hardworking."

Lily blushed, her cheeks almost the same colour as her hair. "I'm not the top student. James and Sirius get the honours, not me", she said.

"She's being modest. Slughorn's always raving how amazing she is at everything", James supplied.

Lily lowered her head in embarrassment. She said, "No, really. You overestimate me, James."

James laughed good naturedly and put an arm on her shoulder. 'Lils, we all know that you're going to bag the most Outstandings in NEWTS."

Lily hit him good naturedly on the arm. "James, you're embarrassing me."

His parents laughed. "Well, you two look cute enough", Genevieve Potter said, laughing. "So, Lily, what do you want to do after leaving Hogwarts?", Mr Potter asked.

"I was thinking of maybe being an Auror", Lily replied. "That's a great ambition", Mr Potter said. "That's sweet, you and James are going to be together, too!"

James yawned. "Oh, I'm sorry, honey, you and Lily must be very tired right now. Go and rest first, and I'll just call you for dinner, alright?", his mother said. "Show Lily to her room, James. Have a good rest, dears."

James stood up and Lily followed him upstairs. She saw a sign on a door that said, "James' Room" and on the room next to it, "Sirius' Room".

"That's yours", James said, pointing at the room across his. "Your trunk's already there. Freshen up first. I'll see you later."

"See you later", Lily said, kissing his cheek and entering the room. James went in his room, laying down on the familiar comfort of his bed.

Lily looked at the room she was provided. She admired the white and mint green colour scheme of the room and lay down on the four-poster bed, thinking.

Two years ago, if you told her she was going to fall in love with James Potter, she would have reported you to McGonagall for having too much alcohol. She never imagined, not even in her dreams, that she would love James more than anything else in the world. Now that she thought about it, it was kind of silly. Sure, James was the world's most arrogant prat, well, second only to his best friend Sirius Black. But part of it is also because of her old best friend, Severus, whom James hated. Once Lily turned her back on Severus, she realized that James was not such a bad guy. And when James was made Head Boy at the beginning of Seventh Year, and Lily Head Girl, they worked together quite peacefully together. She realized that she fell for him two months after term started. She also realized that she liked him all along, but she was too busy screaming at him and faking her hate for him to notice. After that, it became a matter of personal pride for her. She spent too much of her time at Hogwarts telling everyone that she thinks James was an arrogant toe rag , and that she hates him with all she had. However, she finally confessed to him one night in one of their rounds, accidentally of course. James's face lit up and asked her to be his girlfriend, an offer she didn't refuse. They've been together since. Lily could never have thought that she would be in his house, being introduced to his parents as his first girlfriend. She smiled. A lot has changed. She washed her face in the bathroom, still smiling. James was the best thing that's happened to her, tied with finding out that she was a witch. Come to think of it, if she hadn't gone to Hogwarts, she would never have met James, would she?

James was also thinking, staring at the ceiling. After many years of heartbreak due to Lily's constant refusal, she finally said yes to him. He never could contain his nerves whenever she's around, which resulted in various hare-brained schemes in an attempt to grab her attention causing her to view him as a conceited and arrogant person. Even now, he still can't resist showing off to her, but she simply finds it amusing nowadays. James was thankful she got past the enmity between them. She was the most wonderful person he has ever met. Heck, he'll even jump in front of Voldemort for her. Speaking of Voldemort, since he's been getting more powerful, everyone's been getting worried. Muggles and Muggle-borns alike were being hunted down. He had to get a move on. This week would be a perfect opportunity to ask her a very important question.

A while later, she heard the house-elf knock on her door, saying, "Miss, it's time for dinner now. The Madam and Master is waiting in the dining hall for you and Master James."

Lily got up and went out, seeing James come out of his room. She smiled at him, and he offered his arm to her. She took it, and he kissed her forehead. "Ready to go?", he asked. "Yes", she answered. They went downstairs, finding Mr and Mrs Potter in the dining hall, talking. When they saw their son and Lily enter, they motioned for them to sit. Lily and James sat next to each other and opposite Mr and Mrs Potter. Dinner was quite pleasant, they had small talk and Mr and Mrs Potter questioned Lily about her Muggle upbringing. James was glad to see that his parents, especially his mother, adored the girl he loved so much. They went along very well and Lily found herself being more comfortable with his parents. After dinner, she was treated to charming stories of James' youth, and many of his childhood photos. Lily and Genevieve Potter giggled as they looked through old photos and memories, as if they were the best of friends. Embarrassed as he was, he still found it great that they were bonding. After all, he has a strong feeling that Lily would be their daughter in law soon enough.

Lily was enjoying herself, all her worries evaporated into thin air. Bonding with James' mother proved to be an enjoyable experience. Genevieve Potter was funny, sweet and kind, almost like her own mother. By the time Lily went to bed, Mrs Potter had insisted Lily call her "Mum".

When it was time to turn in, James escorted Lily to her room. Lily kissed him in the mouth. "Goodnight, James. I'll see you tomorrow morning. I love you", she said. "Goodnight, Lils, I love you too", he told her and kissed her forehead. With that, they entered their respective rooms and slept soundly.

When Lily woke up the next morning, it was already nine. She took a bath and put on a plain yellow dress. She went down for breakfast and heard voices coming from the dining hall.

"James, we want to talk to you about Lily", Mrs Potter's voice said.

"Actually, I wanted to say something about Lily, too", James cut in.

"Hold on, dear. She's a wonderful girl. She's exactly the type of person we want you to marry. I just want to tell you how happy we are for you and we hope you treat her well", Mrs Potter said.

"Your mother's right. She's a very charming young woman", Mr Potter added. "And you have our approval."

"Thanks, Mum, Dad. I want to tell you something, too...", James said, but his voice lowered into a whisper. Lily couldn't hear what he said, but Mrs Potter said, "That's wonderful, James!"

They all looked up when Lily showed up at the doorway.

"Lily! Did you sleep well, love?", Mrs Potter greeted her.

"Yes, I did. Thank you so much for asking", she said. "Come and have your breakfast, dear, we were just about to start", Mrs Potter gestured for her to sit down. As they were being served coffee, Mrs Potter turned to her son and asked, "So, James, what do you have planned for today?"

"Well, I was going to take Lily around the area, maybe a picnic in the gardens later for lunch", James replied, scarfing down the waffles on his plate.

"Really?", Lily looked at him.

"Yes, Lils, really", he grinned. "You really have to give me more credit than this, Lil. You're hurting my pride."

Lily almost choked on her juice. "Me? Hurting your pride? Why, I didn't think hurting your pride was even possible!"

"Yes, it is. Well, to you it is...", James said, winking at her.

After they finished with breakfast, Lily and James said goodbye to his parents and headed out. As James went to his room to get something, Lily didn't know what, Mrs Potter took her aside.

"Lily, dear", Mrs Potter began, "I can't even tell you how grateful we are to you. We have never seen our James so happy and...",she trailed off. Lily placed her hand on her shoulder.

"It's nothing, really. I love James and I promise to make him happy. As happy as any man can be. I promise that I will love him with everything I have", Lily told her, smiling warmly. Mrs Potter smiled. "I have a feeling that you really are the one for James, Lily. Call it mother's intuition", the older woman blinked.

"Lil, ready to go?"

James appeared, holding his coat and Lily's. He handed her the coat and pecked his mother on the cheek. "See you later, Mum. Wish me luck!", he said.

When they left the house, Lily turned to James. "Wish you luck? What for?",she asked.

James smirked, in a way that suggested that he has something planned in his mind.

"Later, you'll find out, Lils", he said.

Lily didn't ask him further. She knew there was no point, James can be pretty stubborn.

They went around town, sightseeing. Lily couldn't help but wonder about what James had planned. Around noon, they went back to the Potters' estate, where a picnic was waiting for them.

"You're right, James, I do need to give you more credit", Lily said as she sat down on the blanket laid on the grass. "This is amazing."

"Glad you like it", James grinned.

They had lunch after that, just some lasagne and garlic bread, Lily's favourite. Dessert was treacle tart, James' favourite. Lily had a good time shoving the dessert in his mouth. After eating, they spent a few good moments just sitting down and being content in each other's arms. James had his arms around Lily and Lily leaned into him. They were perfectly matched, as if their bodies were made to be together. After about half an hour, James suddenly moved, startling Lily. He took her hand and ushered her underneath a large Holly tree, where a bench stood. He led her to sit at the bench, causing Lily to raise one of her eyebrows in confusion. "James, what are you-", she began, but James suddenly knelt in front of her. Lily finally had an idea of what he's planning to do.

"Lily, you and I both know that You-know-who is gaining power and people may say that we're just rushing out of fear of not being able to do things that usually take time. But Lily, I've never been more sure of anything in my whole life. I've liked you since we were in First Year and I've loved you since our Fifth. You're the most amazing person I have ever known and I intend to spend the remainder in my life with you. I want you to be the first thing I see every morning and the last I see at night. I want you to be the mother of my children. I have never loved anyone more and I don't think I ever will. I guess what I'm asking is", he drew the ring box from his coat pocket. "Lily Louise Evans, what are you planning to do for the rest of your life? Because I want to spend the rest of mine with you."

"James", Lily said, choking through her tears, "are you proposing to me? Because if you are, then, the answer is yes."

James grinned as he opened the box and slipped the delicate ring on her finger. Lily looked at it. It was gorgeous. It was a simple white gold band with a princess cut diamond setting on the centre, with two smaller emeralds on either side.

"I love you, Lily", James said.

"I love you too, James", Lily replied, kissing him.

"Did you like the ring?", he asked.

"Yes, I did, very much. It's lovely, James! Did you pick it?", she said.

"It was my grandmother's engagement ring. She and my grandfather were married a long, long time, so I thought it may give us luck, you know? Good thing you two have the same ring size."

Lily smiled and pecked him in the cheek. "This is rather unexpected. I mean, we're just seventeen. But it's not married yet, so my folks should be alright with it. Thank God you didn't ask me to elope. I would have agreed, but my parents would be horrified!"

James let out a bark of laughter. "Good to know that you'd run away with me if I asked you to."

"Does anyone know about this?", Lily asked.

"Just my parents", he answered. "I asked their permission this morning."

'So that's what the luck was for. And his whisper this morning', Lily thought.

The next moments were spent in silence. Lily and James sat there contently, allowing the events sink in. Lily was almost beside herself with glee. She had felt a tinge of jealousy when Petunia got engaged, thinking that she might not find the one who will spend the rest of his life with her. But now, she felt like the luckiest girl in the world, engaged to the man she loved, it was as if there is no looming danger in the horizon. All she could think about was her, James and their future together.

The second they entered the house, James yelled out, "She said YES!"

Mrs Potter came rushing into the hall. "She did? Oh, thank goodness!"

"Mum, don't you trust your son's appeal? Of course she said yes! She can't resist this", James said, indicating his face.

Lily laughed. "Yes, I can! I have for six years!"

Mrs Potter was in tears. "Come here, Lily dear! Welcome to the family!", she cried, embracing Lily. "Thank you for making our James the happiest man in the world. I could see it in his eyes. He's never been happier", she added in an undertone to Lily.

"He gave me more love than I ever deserved. I should be thanking him", Lily whispered back.

"Alright, I'll get dinner started. You two can do whatever you want until it's ready", Mrs Potter said, wiping her eyes and heading towards the kitchen. Lily and James went upstairs.

"I want to send an owl to my parents about this. They'll be thrilled. Well, my Mum would. My Dad would have your head", Lily said, heading to her room. "Would you like to come with?"

"Sure, I have nothing to do, anyway", James answered, following her to her room.

Lily took out a roll of parchment, a quill and a bottle of ink. She sat down on the desk and James pulled up a chair next to her. She wrote:

_Dear Mum and Dad, _

_Thank you for sending me the Easter eggs. James got his too and he sends his thanks as well. I hope Petunia's wedding turned out well, I can't imagine her reaction if it didn't. Again, I'm awfully sorry for missing it, though I hope you sent her my love, and to Vernon, too. I do hope she's happy with her new life as Mrs Dursley. _

_Actually, I wrote because I have exciting news myself. Dad, don't get mad or have a fit, but James proposed to me today and I said yes. No, there are no wedding plans yet, this is more like a vow. But I've never been more sure of anything in my life, and I love James with all that I have. He's the one I want to spend the rest of my life with, and I'm sure that he feels the same way, if not more, about me. I just want to tell you that you needn't worry, we're not eloping anytime soon. He wanted to meet you this holiday, and I think it would be nice as Petunia is on her honeymoon, and therefore would not be bothered with our presence. _

_James and I are coming over in a couple of days so that he can meet you. I've met his parents and they're wonderful. They treated me like their own daughter. They're very pleasant and welcoming. _

_We'll see you soon. I love you both._

_Love, _

_Lily_

_P.S: Daddy, be nice to James. I mean it!_

When she was done, she rolled up the parchment, sealed it and gave it to James, who gave it to the family owl, Hercules. Mr Potter arrived a short while before dinner, and his wife wasted no time in telling him that their son is now engaged.

He went and hugged his future daughter in law and gave his son a pat on the back. "Congratulations, James, Lily. Lily, we are most honoured to have you as a part of our family."

They had dinner a short while later. Mr Potter stood up after dessert and cleared his throat. "I propose a toast", he said, raising his wine-glass. "To my son James and his new fiancee, Lily. May you have a great and loving life of bliss. I hope that you would have the best in life and a happy family. We wish you all the best. James, take care of Lily. Make her feel like the luckiest woman on earth."

"You know I will, Dad", James said, in a serious voice.

"To Lily and James", said Mrs Potter, raising her own glass.

Lily and James raised their glasses. James gave Lily a loving look and she smiled back. The two of them excused themselves and insisting that they needed rest.

They went up the stairs. When they reached the landing, Lily gave James a kiss and a "Goodnight, I love you". They went on their separate rooms. Lily took a bath. When she got back to her bed, she saw that her parents had written back.

_Dear Lily,_

_We appreciate you warning us in advance about your decision and we're very happy for you. We'd be glad to meet James, you two are most welcome at home. Of course you two may come, it would be nice to get to know James. _

_Petunia's wedding had gone swimmingly, and she's enjoying her honeymoon now. Vernon is taking good care of her. It's quite alright that you didn't make it to the wedding, we understand. I would have loved it if both my daughters were there to celebrate the wedding of one of them, but you are most certainly forgiven. _

_Lily, dear, if you're sure of your decision, then we will not stop you. You are of legal age (at least by Wizard Standard) and we respect your decisions. Just remember that Dad and I would be here for you whenever you need us. We are glad that you've found your life partner, someone who loves you unconditionally. Naturally, we would hope that you would have waited a few more years, but if you've already decided, then, we'll support you. At least wait until you're eighteen when you decide to take this to the aisle!_

_We're looking forward to meeting James, he sounds like a decent young man, and he seems to be taking perfect care of you. It's also very nice of him to want to get to know us, it just showed us that he's serious about you. _

_We'll see you soon, and we're so happy for you. By the way, I told your Dad to be nice to your fiancé. _

_Love always,_

_Mum_

Lily exhaled. Her parents had taken the news better than she hoped. She smiled as she lay on her bed. Today, she is officially engaged to James Potter, the one she had insisted on hating for six years and now the very reason for her existence.

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So, how was that? I would love to hear your reviews. Leave a review and help me improve!


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